Yelp reviews from some of California’s most prominent politicians have recently come to light, and Katie Porter, a former gubernatorial candidate, certainly did not hold back.
This week, posts attributed to influential leaders, including Karen Bass, former LAUSD Secretary Alberto Carvalho, Jennifer Newsom, and Senator Alex Padilla, became publicly accessible.
While many of these posts garnered five-star ratings for various establishments—like restaurants, pet shops, and massage studios—Porter took a different approach. She penned an in-depth critique of places such as massage parlors, taxi services, salons, and pizzerias.
In a review about Massage Heights in Sherman Oaks from 2017, Porter expressed her disappointment, stating: “Despite being in such a convenient location and having so many amenities, I cannot in good conscience continue to be a regular customer.”
She claimed that the treatment of former employees was unjust and noted that patrons faced confusion when therapists left the spa. Additionally, she pointed out significant management issues, saying, “Please note that almost 1/3 of reviews written are ‘not recommended.’ Management is hiding a serious problem. I have been a member here for over 6 years, so please consider the depth of my experience with this place when judging this review.”
Two of the businesses she assessed—Tony Pepperoni Pizzeria and Irvine Yellow Cab, the latter now permanently closed—did not fare well. Regarding the pizzeria, she recounted a frustrating delivery experience from July 2013: “Terrible delivery service. I ordered at 4:39. I was told it would take 35-40 minutes. I called to confirm at 40. The driver was on his way. I called again at 5:31. 52 minutes later.”
In her taxi review, she described an equally disappointing encounter: “I had a terrible experience with this company. I called the night before and booked a taxi for 6am. At 6:03, there were no taxis, so I called to check. ‘It’s 5 minutes away.”
As she continued sharing her frustrations about the lack of service, there was a moment of relief: the flight she almost missed was delayed. Nonetheless, she concluded with, “I will never use this company again.”
When asked about her reviews on Thursday, Porter maintained that they still stood as originally written.
On a different note, Senator Alex Padilla shared sharp criticism regarding a stylist named Jessica from Great Clips, who cut his son’s hair back in September 2018. “I’ve generally been happy with the results at this location, but tonight we had what I would call a truly terrible experience,” he remarked.
Padilla described Jessica as having a poor attitude and lacking the skills necessary for a simple haircut, adding, “I would not recommend Jessica to cut your hair or your child’s hair, and I wish she would get more training.”
As for the politicians currently engaged in the Los Angeles mayoral runoff next month, they may differ on issues, but they share numerous five-star endorsements of the places they’ve frequented.
Incumbent Karen Bass and City Council member Nitya Raman both contributed five-star reviews. Bass had exited two jobs while serving as the U.S. representative for California’s 37th Congressional District. Raman reviewed the cafe, Tea Drops, positively.
Others, like First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and former mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, opted for limited reviews that consisted mainly of simple five-star ratings.
The media reached out to the establishments where Porter shared her less-than-glowing reviews, but they did not respond. Massage Heights chose to remain silent on the matter.
